


Royalty

by amoeve



Series: Zutara Month 2015 [14]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-11 21:10:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5642098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amoeve/pseuds/amoeve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katara has to be royalty in order to marry Zuko. He thinks this is a pointless law.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Royalty

Zuko’s face is furious. “That’s the stupidest law I’ve ever heard,” he says, and the flames in the throne room rush higher.

“I regret, Fire Lord Zuko, that I have had to bring you this terrible news,” the Fire Sage babbles, prostrating himself. “But I’m afraid it was put into law by Fire Lord Sozin – ”

The Throne Fire licks the ceiling, and dies as Zuko leaps to his feet. “What?” his voice is a snarl, and the Fire Sage blanches. “You dare come here and tell me I cannot marry Ambassador Katara because of a decree by _Sozin_?” The lack of honorific is significant in Zuko’s mouth. He turns to his uncle. “This is _ridiculous_.”

Iroh is frowning. “If a law can be added, it can be repealed,” he says, his eyes on the Fire Sage, “but grounds could be difficult to find, if you want to ensure that you do not simply change laws on a whim.” Zuko’s face darkens, so Katara interrupts before he can yell at his uncle in public.

“What _is_ the law, Fire Sage Ichin?” Katara’s pleased at how cold her voice sounds – and _especially_ happy that Aang blinks at her in surprise. Let Aang appreciate just how unhappy she is, because he’s always had far too much faith in people’s patience.

“With permission?” Ichin’s eyes are on Zuko, who nods, curtly. Ichin swallows, and says, “Fi– _Sozin_ ,” he corrects himself in the face of Zuko’s glare, “sought to de-legitimise his heirs when he exiled his elder sons. They disagreed with him about the war, you see, and – well – Sozin was an old man by the time Fire Lord Azulon was born, and – ”

Iroh coughs, and Ichin stops. “My father, Azulon, was Sozin’s youngest son, fathered on Sozin’s last wife – one of his cousins, no less. Though the days of the Imperial Harem were over – ” Katara sees Zuko blink and hopes she isn’t blushing – “there were still many claimants to the throne, many extended branches of the Royal Family.”

Ichin nods. “Just so, Prince Iroh. But Sozin had it set down in law that only a bride of noble Fire Nation birth could provide a legitimate heir to the imperial throne. And he removed from the line of succession anyone whose parentage contained a commoner. That way, his crown would pass directly to his infant son Azulon, bypassing his elder sons. The insult to their honour started a civil war that lasted nearly ten years.”

“And that’s what delayed the outbreak of the war,” Zuko concludes, gloomily.

Katara has had enough of this. “Zuko,” she says, folding her arms. “Your country is stupid.”

“I know,” he sighs. “But I want to be a different Fire Lord than my forefathers, Katara, I don’t want to just be able to put things into law simply because I _want_ them.”

Katara rolls her eyes. “Then I shall make our marriage a condition of the reparations that the Fire Nation owe the Water Tribe.”

Katara’s father, she notes, looks just a little proud at that. “And the Water Tribe laws on this matter _would_ take precedence if you wedded in the South Pole, Fire Lord Zuko,” Hakoda says, before the Fire Sage can answer. “Laws stating the equal value of all personages, whatever their birth or legitimacy.”

Zuko rises from the throne, and bows. “Done,” he says. “And I will bring before the justices an act that declares the equality of all men and women before the law of the Fire Nation, regardless of their birth. I won’t have any of this class-bound thinking. It’s not right.”

Katara beams at him.

“Wasn’t Yue a princess?” Aang chips in, and everybody turns to look at him. “I mean… Katara, your father’s a chief. Doesn’t that make you a princess, too?”

Iroh smacks his forehead. “I should have remembered to argue that a chief’s daughter counts as royalty.”

Katara frowns. “Uh… do I?”

Hakoda nods his head from side to side. “Technically… yes.” Katara raises an eyebrow at him, well aware that this goes against the anti-hierarchical nature of the Southern Tribe. “Hey, if Arnook gets to be royalty, I’m not going to say _no_ ,” he winks at her, “when it means you might actually get married.”

“Dad,” Katara blushes.

“I’m still writing that act,” Zuko says, sounding somewhat annoyed. “I don’t care if there’s a loophole, it’s the principle of the thing.”

Fire Sage Ichin reaches for parchment and a brush. “Fire Lord Zuko, I will take dictation at once.”

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I had a nasty dose of illness over most of December, so now I have no idea when Zutara Month is going to be finished... but I intend to soldier bravely on, nonetheless.


End file.
